With this nuclear stockpile we have the power to eliminate the human race Joseph Rotblat CBE

MAIDENHEAD AND COOKHAM CND NEWSLETTER - June 2008

Dear members

Thank you to all who have renewed their subscriptions.  If you haven’t yet done so, it is not too late!  This is CND’s 50^th anniversary year and there have therefore been several important events, including the Aldermaston demonstration, which took place on Easter Monday and which seems to have been a great success.  Several of our members attended (see below) including one of those who had been on the first Aldermaston March. Most of our members  are not now able to take part in many demonstrations and protests so we concentrate on raising awareness and fundraising.  Our Library Exhibition in November should be a good source of information about CND this year and we hope to publicise this nearer the time.  Our concerts in Lea Barn are usually our main fundraising activity, but this year we are also preparing for a CND 50^th Anniversary fundraising lunch to which all our members, families and friends are invited.

Ann Pink  Ex Services CND .  Ann died on 16^th May.  She was 91 years old.  For many years Ann was a warden of Sheltered Housing in Cox Green before she moved to London, where she was on Ex Services CND Committee for a short time.  We send our condolences to her daughter Elizabeth.

CND Concert    Lea Barn, Cookham   3^rd February 2008

We were privileged to hear some wonderful music on this afternoon in Lea Barn, which is such a unique venue with so much atmosphere.  David Ouvry, Louise Graham, Julia Smith and Rhiannon Evans first played Hayden’s String Quarter, Op 64 No 4 and then with Daphne Clark on piano we were treated to an amazing ‘rendition’ of Dvorak’s Piano Quintet.  We cannot thank them enough for agreeing to play for CND.  After the concert we enjoyed the usual tea and cakes offered by Dr and Mrs Behrman.  Our grateful thanks go to them as well.  We raised £200 which will be distributed between National CND, our own group and other linked campaigns. We look forward to our next visit to Lea Barn, which will be next year sometime.

Southern Region Meeting  Saturday 1^st March, Seacourt Hall, Botley, Oxford

This was Southern Region’s AGM and the guest speaker was Peter Tatchell, who spoke on “Global Warming, the threat of war and fascism”. He made the link convincingly between global warming and conflict and chaos, saying that switching to renewables was the only answer. 

The main business of the AGM then took place, after which it was suggested that, in view of the poor attendance at these meetings, the size of the Southern Region, etc, we should reconsider how we could go forward effectively.  Communication between groups was felt to be most important and Anna offered to act as the person through whom messages were sent to all groups.  Hopefully this will be set up by the time of the next meeting, which will be the annual AGM next year.  The AGMs will be the only full meetings.

Demonstration at Aldermaston - Easter Monday

Several members of our group were among the 5000 or so who attended this demonstration held on the 50^th anniversary of the very first Aldermaston March. Joyce had been on this first march 50 years ago.  It snowed on both occasions!  Clear guidelines were set up in advance with the police, so that there would be no risk of arrest from hanging things on the fence, etc.  At 12 noon everyone was assembled at various gates and a carnival type float brought the keynote speakers to each gate.  The speakers included Kate Hudson, Jeremy Corbyn, Bruce Kent, Pat Arrowshmith, Walter Wolfgang, John McDonnell and Vivienne Westwood.  This got us all into the spirit to surround the base, hang things on the fence and at 2.30 precisely make as much noise as possible!  The objective of surrounding the fence was achieved.  This was a colourful, peaceful demonstration, with people of all ages from all over the UK and beyond.

Surrounding the fence at Aldermaston

The demonstration was in addition to CND’s No Trident Replacement campaign and the Global Summit which was held in London in February. In the latest edition of “Campaign” Kate Hudson encourages us to build on our recent successes.  “The Challenge now is to ensure that the demonstration is not just a fine tribute to fifty campaigning years, but that it achieves the other goals we set ourselves for the event, to raise the profile of what is going on at Aldermaston and to bring a new focus of activism to the Aldermaston issue – engaging in particular with the young people whose imagination had been captured by the Aldermaston event.”  Kate also explains that the atmosphere is more favourable than it has been for many years.  Opinion polls show that attitudes in the UK are shifting away from nuclear weapons and opposition is also building internationally.  In addition the Government has now recognised that there is a link between the failure of the nuclear weapon states to meet their disarmament obligations, and an increased likelihood of nuclear proliferation.  She therefore encourages everyone to campaign harder than ever.

Article in Maidenhead Advertiser  May 29^th

Some of you may have seen the article on pages 38 and 39 of the Advertiser of May 29^th.  This was based on an interview which Hilary gave to the reporter Nick Deakin just after the Aldermaston demonstration.  Although it was in the “Mind and Body” section of the paper and was written about individuals rather than issues, it was good publicity for CND and our group in particular!

Library Exhibition  17^th November – 29^th November

This year we will be using National CND’s special anniversary “History of CND” exhibition, which has been organised by The London School of Economics.  We will have the portable version, consisting of photos, leaflets and other images from the main collection.  We hope that this will be eye catching and make people stop and look.  We will remind you nearer the time so that you can tell others about it, take your friends, etc!

CND 50^th Anniversary  Fundraising Lunch  Halldore Corner, Sunday  27^th July  - 12.30 – 2.30

Hilary has very kindly offered to open her home to all our members on Sunday 27th July  for an informal lunch. There are two reasons for having the lunch..  First to meet and enjoy each other’s company in relaxed surroundings and perhaps even bring out some new ideas for the group.  Second to raise funds for CND, as we do at our Concerts. Lunch will be free but a donation when you leave would be appreciated.  All money we receive will go either to National CND to help them carry on their important work or to other similar campaigns.  We really hope that many of you will come and enjoy a couple of hours in the company of like minded people.  We seldom get the chance to mix socially. Please bring family members and/or friends.  They will be very welcome.  All we ask is that you let us know if you will be coming so that we can cater accordingly.  Please, call Hilary on 01628 522331 if you would like to come.

Trident on Patrol in Loch Long

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

If you would like to join Maidenhead & Cookham CND 

Annual Subscription Waged: £5 Unwaged: £3.00 (Donations welcome)

Click here for membership form

Also any comments of offers of help you may like to give. 

Aims and Objectives

CND campaigns and works for the worldwide outlawing and elimination of nuclear weapons.  

The World Court has stated that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is illegal.  The only possible exception being if a country's existence is threatened.

CND campaigns against the arms trade.

CND supports greater openness regarding nuclear arms and power.

A Little Bit of History

The first Aldermaston March was planned at a meeting in Cookham in 1957 to take place at Easter 1958.  On this occasion the march was lead by Donald Soper who, with John Berger, addressed the marchers and the public at the old Maidenhead Town Hall.

Present Actions

To press governments to adhere to the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.  This means not allowing Fylingdales and Menwith Hill in Yorkshire, both British Listening Centres, to be used for phone tapping by the USA and as part of their defence shield.

Keeping a watchful eye on the BNFL new management at Aldermaston, where there have been past infringement of rules regarding the disposal of nuclear waste into the Thames and other waters.

We are at the beginning of a United Nations Decade to promote the culture of peace. 

The National Peace Council has produced a Schools Teaching Pack which stresses the importance of teaching children to adopt the following precepts: 

RESPECT, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, CELEBRATING DIFFERENCES, PARTICIPATION, SHARING RESOURCES, REJECTING VIOLENCE. For information phone 020 7609 6999 or E mail: npc@gn.ape.org 

In November 2000 50 delegates from Pakistan attended a World Peace Convention in India to look at how the world could be made safer and in particular how the relations between Pakistan and India could be improved - a very positive step towards peace. 

Maidenhead & Cookham CND group includes both pacifists and those who lived through and fought for peace in the second world war. We campaign not only for a reduction in nuclear weapons world wide, and an end to nuclear tests and to development of new nuclear missiles, but also for a reduction in the general arms trade which fuels conflict worldwide. 
The eminent scientist and nun Rosalie Bertell who wrote the 1980 classic No Immediate Danger, made the point recently, in an interview with the Times, that more damage to the environment is done by the military than by car exhausts and deodorants. She said " We have the ability to choose life. We will never be of one mind but we will have to break the habit of killing each other when we disagree." 

In the words of ex-President Carter "We need to wage peace" and for evil to triumph in the words attributed to Burke "For evil to triumph it requires only that good men do nothing." 

Newspapar Articles: The Guardian - Kosovo troops tested for cancer from uranium

Contacts:

Hilary 

Anna 01628 635339

Joyce (Membership)

National CND 0207 700 2393

E-Mail: enquiries@cnduk.org 

Website: http://www.cnduk.org 

Did you know. . .

A British nuclear-powered Trident submarine is out on patrol, submerged, ready, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The United States has between eleven and fifteen nuclear-missile firing submarines out on patrol, France has two and the Russians one or more.

All these submarines are programmed to fire their computer-targeted missiles on receiving a simple radio signal.

This is today’s reality. Not some future threat. Not some fantasy computer game.

You can help stop this lunacy.

For more information on Maidenhead and Cookham CND phone 01628 635339

Movement for  the Abolition of War

International  Peace  Bureau

Haig  Appeal  for Peace

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmamament